Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Cultural and Linguistic Issues in Assessing Trauma in a Forensic Context

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Book cover Assessing Trauma in Forensic Contexts

Abstract

This chapter examines cultural and linguistic issues that may arise when assessing trauma from a forensic context. This chapter begins by describing the immigration and migrant influx in recent years, the different immigration experiences, and the potential traumas likely to emerge in that context. The chapter goes on to describe important terms and how they relate to the immigrant experience. The subject of culture, its role in assessment, potential dangers of not being attuned to culture, and culture-bound syndromes are explored. Another perspective explored is that of communication, both verbal and nonverbal, and how it affects the content, emotion, and personality assessed. This chapter concludes with an exploration of testing issues that may occur when assessing trauma in a bicultural or bilingual individual.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Acevedo, A., Buitrago Cohen, M. H., Amrami, Y., Lamela, M., Maskit, B., Bucci, W., & Javier, R. A. (Spring 2017). Language of the experience’s influence on narrative specificity and emotion in Spanish-English Bilinguals. Presented at St. John’s University Research Date.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alarcon, R. D. (2009). Culture, cultural factors, and psychiatric diagnosis: Review and projections. World Psychiatry, 8, 131–139.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Allen, J. G., & Fonagy, P. (2017). Trauma. In P. Luyten, L. C. Mayes, P. Fonagy, M. Target, & S. Blatt (Eds.), Handbook of psychodynamic approaches to psychopathology (pp. 165–198). New York/London: The Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Altarriba, J. (2003). Does cariño equal “liking”? A theoretical approach to conceptual nonequivalence between languages. The International Journal of Bilingualism, 7, 305–322.

    Google Scholar 

  • Altarriba, J. (2008). Expressions of emotion as mediated by context. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 11, 165–167.

    Google Scholar 

  • American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • American Psychological Association. (January 2013). Specialty guidelines for forensic psychology. American Psychologist, 68(1), 7–19. https://doi.org/10.1037/a002988

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • American Psychological Association. (2018). Statement on the effects of deportation and forced separation on immigrants, their families, and communities. The American Journal of Community Psychology, 62, 3–12. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12256

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amrami, Y., Lamala, M., Makit, B., Bucci, W., & Javier, R. (2019). Language of the experience on emotional content and specificity in bilingal autobiographical narratives. Presented at the Eastern Psychological Association Annual Meeting in New York, March 2019.

    Google Scholar 

  • Armour-Thomas, E., & Gopaul-McNicol, S. (1997). In search of correlates of learning underlying “learning disability” using a bio-ecological assessment system. Journal of Social Distress and Homeless, 6(1), 143–159.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ashbaugh, A. R., Houle-Johnson, S., Herbert, C., El-Hage, W., & Brunet, A. (2016). Psychometric validation of the English and French versions of the posttraumatic stress disorder checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). PLoS One, 11(10), e0161645. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0161645

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Ayon, C. (2018). Immigrants in the U.S.: Detention, discrimination, and intervention. Race and Social Problems, 10(4), 273–274.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baden, A. L., & Steward, R. J. (2007). The cultural-racial identity model: A theoretical framework for studying transracial adoptees. In R. A. Javier, A. L. Baden, F. A. Biafora, & A. Camacho-Gingerich (Eds.), Handbook of adoption: Implications for researchers, practitioners, and families (pp. 90–112). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bae, H., Kim, D., Koh, H., Kim, Y., & Park, J. S. (2008). Psychometric properties of the life events checklist-Korean version. Psychiatry Investigation, 5, 163–167. https://doi.org/10.4306/pi.2008.5.3.163

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Balhara, Y. P. S. (2011). Culture-bound syndrome: Has it found its right niche. Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, 33(2), 210–215.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Ball, M. (July 2, 2018). Trump’s inhumane border policy tests America. TIME Magazine, 192(1), 32–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baum, S., & Titone, D. (2014). Moving toward a neuroplasticity view of bilingualism, executive control, and aging. Applied PsychoLinguistics, 35, 857–894.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bialystok, E., Craik, F., & Luk, G. (2008). Cognitive control and lexical access in younger and older bilinguals. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 34, 859–873.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bialystok, E. Craik, F, & Luk, G, (2012). Bilingualism: Consequences for mind and brain. Trends Cognitive Science, 16(4), 240–250. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2012.03.001

  • Boysan, M., Ozhemir, P., Yilmaz, E., Selvi, Y., Özdemir, O., & Kefeli, M. (2017). Psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the clinician-administered PTSD scale for diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, fifth edition. Psychiatry and Clinical Psychopharmacology., 27(2), 173–184.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buchanan, Z. E., Abu-Rayya, H. M., Kashima, E., Paxton, S. J., & Sam, D. L. (2018). Perceived discrimination, language proficiencies, and adaptation: Comparisons between refugee and non-refugee immigrant youth in Australia. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 63, 105–112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2017.10.006

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Butcher, J. N., Dahlstrom, W. G., Graham, J. R., Tellegen, A., & Kaemmer, B. (1989). Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2 (MMPI-2): Manual for administration and scoring. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Byrne, B. M., Oakland, T., Leong, F. T. L., van de Vijver, F. J. R., Hambleton, R. K., Cheung, F. M., & Bartram, D. (2009). A critical analysis of cross-cultural research and testing practices: Implications for improved education and training in psychology. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 3(2), 94–105.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caldwell-Harris, C. L. (2015). Emotionality differences between a native and foreign language: Implications for everyday life. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 24, 214–219.

    Google Scholar 

  • Camino, G., & Bravo, M. (1994). The adaptation and testing of diagnostic and outcome measure for cross-cultural research. International Review of Psychiatry, 6, 281–286.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, J. M., Brown, R. T., Cavanagh, S. E., Vess, S. F., & Segall, M. J. (2008). Evidence-based assessment of cognitive functioning in pediatric psychology. J Pediatr Psychol, 33(9), 999–1014. Published online 2008 Jan 13. https://doi.org/10.1093/jpepsy/jsm138

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (US). (2014). Appendix E, cultural formulation in diagnosis and cultural concepts of distress. Improving cultural competence (Treatment Improvement Protocol [TIP] Series, No. 59.). Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US). Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK248426/

    Google Scholar 

  • Charney, M. E., & Keane, T. M. (2007). Psychometric analyses of the clinician-administered PTSD scale (CAPS)--Bosnian Translation. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 13(2), 161–168.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, P., Lin, J., Chen, B., Lu, C., & Guo, T. (2015). Processing emotional words in two languages with one brain: ERP and fMRI evidence from Chinese-English bilinguals. Cortex, 71, 34–48.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, S. X., & Bond, M. H. (2010). Two languages, two personalities? Examining language effects on the expression of personality in a bilingual context. Personality and Social Psychology Bulleting, 36, 1514–1528.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chu, L. Y. (2004). Coping, appraisal and post-traumatic stress disorder in motor vehicle accident. Unpublished master’s thesis. Hong Kong, China: University of Hong Kong.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clauss-Ehlers, C. S., Chiriboga, D. A., Hunter, S. J., Roysircar, G., & Tummala-Narra, P. (2019). APA multicultural guidelines executive summary: Ecological approach to context, identity, and intersectionality. American Psychologist, 74(2), 232–244.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clauss-Ehlers, C. S., Millan, F., & Zhao, C. J. (2018). Understanding domestic violence within the Latino/Hispanic/Latinx context: Environmental, culturally relevant assessment tool. In R. A. Javier & W. G. Herron (Eds.), Understanding domestic violence- theories, challenges, and remedies (pp. 237–262). New York/London: Rowman & Littlefield.

    Google Scholar 

  • Conrad, M., Reccio, G., & Jacobs, A. M. (2011). The time course of emotion effects in first and second language processing: A cross cultural ERP study with German-Spanish bilinguals. Frontiers in Psychology, 2, 351.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Costantino, G., Dana, R. H., & Malgady, R. G. (2007). TEMAS (Tell-Me-A-Story). Assessment in multicultural societies. Mahwah, N.J: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Costantino, G., Malgady, R. G., & Rogler, L. H. (1985). Cuento therapy – Folktales as culturally sensitive psychotherapy for Puerto Rican children. HRC Monograph No 2. Maplewood, N.J: Waterfront Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dana, R. (1993). Multicultural assessment perspectives for professional psychology. Boston/London: Allyn and Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dana, R. (1996). Assessment of acculturation in Hispanic populations. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 18, 317–328.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davidson, G., Murray, K., & Schweitzer, R. (2010). Review of refugee mental health assessment: Best practices and recommendations. Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology, 4(1), 72–85. https://doi.org/10.1375/prp.4.1.72

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de Bruin, A., Bak, T. H., & Della Sala, S. (2015). Examining the effects of active versus inactive bilingualism on executive control in a carefully matched non-immigrant sample. Journal of Memory and Language, 85, 15–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Desai, G., & Chaturvedi, S. (2017). Idioms of distress. Journal of Neurosciences in Rural Practice, 8(5), S094. https://doi.org/10.4103/jnrp.jnrp_235_17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dewaele, J. M. (2004). The emotional force of swear words and taboo words in the speech of multilinguals. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 25, 204–222.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dewaele, J. M. (2008). The emotional weight of I love you in multilinguals’ languages. Journal of Pragmatics, 40, 1753–1780.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dewaele, J. M., & Nakano, S. (2013). Multilinguals’ perceptions of feeling different when switching languages. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 34, 107–120.

    Google Scholar 

  • Diller, K. C. (1974). “Compound” and “coordinate” bilingualism: A conceptual artifact. Word, 26, 254–261.

    Google Scholar 

  • Draguns, J. G. (1998). Cultural influences on psychopathology. In R. A. Javier & W. G. Herron (Eds.), Personality development and psychotherapy in our diverse society (pp 13–43). North\vale, N.J/London: Jason Aronson, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Draguns, J. G. (1999). Clinical psychology is cultural: Its present state and future prospects. Contemporary Psychology, 44(3), 242–244.

    Google Scholar 

  • Durà-Vilà, G., & Hodes, M. (2012). Cross-cultural study of idioms of distress among Spanish nationals and Hispanic American migrants: Susto, nervios and ataque de nervios. Social Psychiatry & Psychiatric Epidemiology, 47(10), 1627–1637. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-011-0468-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, H. S., Baker, A., Chan, M., Lull, J., Martinez, G., Traff, T., … Walt, V. (2019). Dividing lines. (Cover story). Time Magazine, 193(4/5), 22–47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eilola, T. M., Havelka, J., & Sharma, D. (2007). Emotional activation in the first and second language. Cognition and Emotion, 21(5), 1064–1076. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699930601054109

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • El-Jamil, F., & Abi-Hashem, N. (2018). Family maltreatment and domestic violence among Arab Middle Easterners: A psychological, cultural, religious, and legal examination. In R. A. Javier & W. G. Herron (Eds.), Understanding domestic violence: Theories, challenges, and remedies (pp. 179–212). Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fabrega, H. (1987). Psychiatric diagnosis: A cultural perspective. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 175(7), 383–394.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ferre, P., Garcia, T., Fraga, I., Sanchez-Casas, R., & Molero, M. (2010). Memory for emotional words in bilinguals: Do words have the same emotional intensity in the first and in the second language? Cognition and Emotion, 24, 760–785.

    Google Scholar 

  • Flannigan, D. P., McGrew, K. S., & Ortiz, S. O. (2000). The Wechsler intelligence scales and Gf-Gc theory: A contemporary approach to interpretation. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ford, J. D., & Courtois, C. A. (2009). Defining and understanding complex trauma and complex traumatic stress disorders. In C. A. Courtois & J. D. Ford (Eds.), Treating complex traumatic stress disorders: An evidence-based guide (pp. 13–30). New York, NY: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Foster, R. (1996). Assessing the psychodynamic function of language in the bilingual patient. In R. Foster, M. Moskowitz, & R. Javier (Eds.), Reaching across boundaries of culture and class: Widening the scope of psychotherapy (pp. 243–263). Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Francis, W. S., Tokowicz, N. M., & Kroll, J. F. (2014). The consequences of language proficiency and difficulty of lexical access for translation performance and priming. Memory & Cognition, 42, 27–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ghali, S. B. (1982). Understanding Puerto Rican traditions. Social Work (January), 27, 98–102.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibbs, N. (Nov 12, 2018). The only way forward. TIME Magazine, 192(20), 24–25. https://howlingpixel.com/i-en/Time_(magazine)

  • Geisinger, K. F. (2003). Testing and assessment in cross-cultural psychology. In R. J. Graham & A. J. Naglieri (Eds.), Assessment psychology: Handbook of psychology (pp. 99–117). Hoboken, NY: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Godoy, I. (1995). El rol de los objetos transicionales en el proceso de separación de la tierra madre: Un estudio realizado con mujeres Latinas imigrantes. Tesis doctoral, Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gollan, T. H., Starr, J., & Ferreira, V. S. (2015). More than use it or lose it: The number-of-speakers effect on heritage language proficiency. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 22, 147–155.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greene, B. (2006). How difference makes a difference: Social privilage, disadvantage, and multiple identities. In J. C. Muran (Ed.), Dialogues on difference: Studies in diversity in therapeutic relationships (pp. 47–63). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Green, D. W. (2011). Language control in different contexts: The behavioral ecology of bilingual speakers. Frontiers in Psychology, 2, 103.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Grosjean, F. (2010). Bilingual life and reality. Boston, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grotevant, H. D., Dunbar, N., Kohler, J. K., & Esau, A. M. L. (2007). Adoptive identity: How contexts within and beyond the family shape developmental pathways. In R. A. Javier, A. L. Baden, F. A. Biafora, & A. Camacho-Gingerich (Eds.), Handbook of adoption: Implications for researchers, practitioners, and families (pp. 77–89). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guillermoprieto, A. (2010). The murderers of Mexico. New York Review of Books, 57(16), 46–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haas, A. M., Boyes, A., Cheng, J., MacNeil, A., & Wirove, R. (2016). An introduction to the issues of cross-cultural assessment inspired by Ewert v. Canada. Journal of Threat Assessment and Management, 3(2), 65–75.

    Google Scholar 

  • Halpern, S., & McKibben, B. (2014). Amid the heated debates, Iraqi immigrants struggle to make a living in Arizona. Smithsonian, 45(5), 1.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hammer, J. (2015). S.O.S. Outside, 40(10), 62–104.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harris, C. L., Aycicegi, A., & Gleason, J. B. (2003). Taboo words and reprimands elicit greater autonomic reactivity in a first language than in a second language. Applied PsychoLinguistics, 24, 561–579.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harris, C. L., Gleasson, J. B., & Aycicegi, A. (2006). When is a first language more emotional? Psycho-physiological evidence from bilingual speakers. In A. Pavlenko (Ed.), Bilingual minds: Emotional experience, expression, and representation (pp. 257–283). New York: Multilingual Matters.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haskins, J. (2017). Migrant, refugee youth face dangers on Mediterranean migration routes. Nation’s Health, 47(9), 15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hellman, A. D. (2011). Vocabulary size and depth of word knowledge in adult-onset second language acquisition. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 21, 162–182.

    Google Scholar 

  • Helms, J. E., Jerrigan, M., & Mascher, J. (2005). The meaning of race in psychology and how to change it: A methodological perspective. American Psychologist, 60, 27–36.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hinton, L., & Kleinman, A. (1990). Cultural issues and international psychiatric diagnosis. In I. C. De Silva & C. Nadenson (Eds.), International Review of Psychiatry (pp. 111–129). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ibrahim, H., Ertl, V., Catani, C., Ismail, A. A., & Neuner, F. (2018). The validity of posttraumatic stress disorder checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) as screening instrument with Kurdish and Arab displaced populations living in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. BMC Psychiatry, 18(1), 259. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-018-1839-z

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Itzhak, I., Vingron, N., Baum, S. R., & Titone, D. (2017). Bilingualism in the real world: How proficiency, emotion, and personality in a second language impact communication in clinical and legal settings. Translational Issues in Psychological Science, 3(1), 48–65.

    Google Scholar 

  • Javier, R. A. (1996). In search of repressed memories in bilingual individuals. In R. Pérez Foster, M. Moskowitz, & R. A. Javier (Eds.), Reaching across boundaries of culture and class: Widening the scope of psychotherapy (pp. 225–241). Lanham, MD: Jason Aronson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Javier, R. A. (2007). The bilingual mind: Thinking, feeling and speaking in two languages. New York: Springer Science + Business Media.

    Google Scholar 

  • Javier, R. A., & Herron, W. H. (1998). Personality development and psychotherapy in our diverse society: A sourcebook. Northdale, NJ: Jason Aronson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Javier, R. A., & Marcos, L. R. (1989). The role of stress on the language-independence and code-switching phenomena. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 18, 449–472.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Javier, R.A., Barroso, F. & Munoz, M. (1993). Autobiographical memories in bilinguals. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 2, 319–338.

    Google Scholar 

  • Javier, R. A., Vasquez, C. I., & Marcos, L. R. (1998). Common errors by interpreters in communicating with linguistically diverse patients. In R. A. Javier & W. H. Herron (Eds.), Personality development and psychotherapy in our diverse society: A sourcebook (pp. 521–534). Northdale, NJ: Jason Aronson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaufman, A. S., & Lichtenberger, E. O. (2001). Assessing adolescent and adult intelligence. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keygnaert, I., Vettenburg, N., & Temmerman, M. (2012). Hidden violence is silent rape: Sexual and gender-based violence in refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented migrants in Belgium and the Netherlands. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 14(5), 505–520.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirmayer, L. J., & Ryder, A. G. (2016). Culture and psychopathology. Current Opinion in Psychology, 8, 143–148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2015.10.020

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kleinman, A. (1987). Anthropology and psychiatry. The role of culture in cross-cultural research on illness. British Journal of Psychiatry, 179, 1–3.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kleinman, A. (1988). The illness narratives: Suffering, healing, and the human condition. New York, NY: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koppitz, E. M. (1975). The bender gestalt test for young children (Vol. 2). New York: Grune and Stratton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lambert, W. (1972). Language, psychology, and culture (pp. 330–331). Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Langman, P. F. (1997). White culture, Jewish culture and the origins of psychotherapy. Psychotherapy, 34(2), 207–218.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, E. (1990). Assessment and treatment of Chinese-American immigrant families. In G. W. Saba, B. M. Karrer, & K. Hardy (Eds.), Minorities and family therapy (pp. 99–122). New York, NY: Hawthorth.

    Google Scholar 

  • de Paulo Lima, E., Vasconcelos, A., Berger, W., Kristensen, C., Nascimento, E., Figueira, I., & Mendlowicz, M. (2016). Cross-cultural adaptation of the posttraumatic stress disorder checklist 5 (PCL-5) and life events checklist 5 (LEC-5) for the Brazilian context. Trends in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, 38, 207–215. https://doi.org/10.1590/2237-6089-2015-0074

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lu, F. G., Lim, R. F., & Mezzich, J. E. (1995). Issues in the assessment and diagnosis of culturally diverse individuals. American Psychiatric Press Review of Psychiatry, 14, 477–510.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maeda, F., & Nathan, J. H. (1999). Understanding taijin kyofusho through its treatment, morita therapy. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 46(6), 525–530.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Malgady, R. G., & Costantino, G. (1998). Symptom severity in bilingual Hispanics as a function of clinician ethnicity and language of interview. Psychological Assessment, 10(2), 120–127. https://doi.org/10.1037/1040-3590.10.2.120

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marcos, L. R., Urcuyo, L., Kesselman, M., & Alpert, M. (1973). The language barrier in evaluating Spanish-American patients. Archives of General Psychiatry, 29(5), 655–659.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Markus, H. (2008). Pride, prejudice, and ambivalence: Toward a unified theory of rce and ethnicity. American Psychologist, 63(8), 651–670.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marshall, G. N. (2004). Post-traumatic stress disorder symptom checklist: Factor structure and English-Spanish measurement invarience. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 17(3), 223–230.

    Google Scholar 

  • Matsumoto, D. R., & van de Vijver, F. J. R. (2011). Cross-cultural research methods in psychology. New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • McWilliams, N. (2004). Psychoanalytic psychotherapy: A practitioner’s guide. New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mehta, V., De, A., & Balachandran, C. (2009). Dhat syndrome: A reappraisal. Indian Journal of Dermatology, 54(1), 89–90. https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5154.49002

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Miles, J. N., Marshall, G. N., & Schell, T. L. (2008). Spanish and English versions of PTSD checklist-Civilian version (PCL-C): Testing for differential item functioning. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 21, 369–376.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moitra, E., Duarte-Velez, Y., Lewis-Fernández, R., Weisber, R. B., & Keller, M. B. (2018). Examination of ataque de nervios and ataque de nervios like events in a diverse simple of adults with anxiety disorders. Depression and Anxiety, 35(12), 1190–1197. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.22853

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mojaverian, T., Hashimoto, T., & Kim, H. S. (2013). Cultural differences in professional help seeking: A comparison of Japan and U.S. Front Psychol. 2013 Jan 11;3:615. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00615.ecollection2012.

  • Morris, D. O., Javier, R. A., & Herron, W. G. (2015). Specialty competencies in professional psychology. Specialty competencies in psychoanalysis in psychology. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Müller-Engelmann, M., Schnyder, U., Dittmann, C., Priebe, K., Bohus, M., Thome, J., … Steil, R. (2018). Psychometric properties and factor structure of the German version of the clinician-administered PTSD scale for DSM-5. Assessment, 1073191118774840. https://doi.org/10.1177/10731911187774840

  • Murray, H. A. (1938). Explorations in personality. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nichter, M. (1981). Idioms of distress: Alternatives in the expression of psychosocial distress: A case study from South India. Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry, 5(4), 379–408.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nicolas, G. & Whitt, C. (2012). Conducting qualitative research with Black immigrant sample. Understanding depression among Haitian immigrant women. In D. K. Nagata, L. Kohn-Wood, & L. Suzuki (Eds.), Qualitative strategies for ethnocultural research (pp 199–217). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association Press. https://doi.org/10.10:3037/13742-011

  • O’Malley, P. (2018). Migration and conflict. New England Journal of Public Policy, 30(2). Retrieved from https://scholarworks.umb.edu/nejpp/vol30/iss2/14

  • Paniagua, F. A., & Yamada, A. M. (2013). Handbook of multicultural mental health: Assessment and treatment of diverse populations (2nd ed.). Amsterdam, Boston, London, San Francisco, New York: Elsevier.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pavlenko, A. (2006). Bilingual selves. In A. Pavlenko (Ed.), Bilingual minds: Emotional experience, expression, and representation (Vol. 56, pp. 1–33). Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paunovic, N., & Ost, L. (2005). Psychometric properties of a Swedish translation of the clinician-administered PTSD scale-diagnostic version. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 18(2), 161–164.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pineteh, E. A., & Muly, T. N. (2016). Tragic and heroic moments in the lives of forced migrants. Memories of polical asylum-seekers in post-apartheid South Africa. Refuge: Canada’s Journal of Refugees, 32(3), 63–72. Retrieved from https://refugejournals.yorku.ca/index.php/refuge/article/view/40285

  • Ramirez-Esparza, N., Gosling, S. D., Benet-Martinez, V., Potter, J. P., & Pennebaker, J. W. (2006). Do bilinguals have two personalities? A special case of cultural frame switching. Journal of Research in Personality, 40, 99–120.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rogler, L. H., & Cortes, D. E. (1993). Help-seeking pathways: A unifying concept in mental health care. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 150(4), 554–561.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rojas-Flores, L., Hwang Koo, J., & Vaughn, J. M. (2019). Protecting US-citizen children whose central American parents have temporary protected status. International Perspectives in Psychology: Research, Practice, Consultation, 8(1), 14–19.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rowe, D. C. (2002). IQ, birth weight, and number of sexual partners in White, African American, and mixed-race adolescents. Population, 23, 513–524.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sadeghi, S. (2019). Racial boundaries, stigma, and the re-emergence of “always being foreigners”: Iranians and the refugee crisis in Germany. Ethnic & Racial Studies, 42(10), 1613–1631. https://doi.org/10.1080/01419870.2018.1506145

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Safran, J. (2012). Psychoanalysis and the psychoanalytic therapies. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scherer, M., Altman, A., & Miller, Z. J. (2017). Bigots, boosted by the bully pulpit. Time Magazine, 190(8), 30–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schnyder, U., & Moergeli, H. (2002). German version of clinician-administered PTSD scale. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 15(6), 487–492.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, P. Y. (2002). Why is neurasthenia important in Asian cultures? The Western Journal of Medicine, 176(4), 257–258.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Segalowitz, N., Trofimovich, P., Gatbonton, E., & Sokolovskaya, A. (2008). Feeling affect in a second language: The role of word recognition automaticity. The Mental Lexicon, 3, 47–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheikh, N. A., & Titone, D. (2016). The embodiment of emotional words in a second language: An eye-movement study. Cognition and Emotions, 30, 488–500.

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh, A., Tripathi, A., Gupta, B., & Agarwal, V. (2016). Pathways to care for Dhat (semen loss anxiety) syndrome: A study from North India. International Journal of Mental Health, 45(4), 253–261. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207411.2016.1238741

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Solms, M., & Trumbull, O. (2002). The brain and the inner world: An introduction to the neuroscience of subjective experience. New York: Karnac Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sue, D. W., Capodilupo, C. M., Torino, G. C., Bucceri, J. M., Holder, A. M. B., Nadal, K. L., & Esquilin, M. (2007). Racial microaggressions in everyday life: Implications for clinical practice. American Psychologist, 62(4), 271–286.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sutton, T. M., Altarriba, J., Gianico, J. L., & Basnight-Brown, D. M. (2007). The automatic access of emotion: Emotional Stroop effects in Spanish-English bilingual speakers. Cognition and Emotions, 21, 1077–1090.

    Google Scholar 

  • United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. (2017). International Migration Report 2017 (ST/ESA/SER.A/403).

    Google Scholar 

  • van de Vijver, F. J. R., & Poortinga, Y. H. (2002). Structural equivalence in multilevel research. Journal of Cross-Cultural Research, 33, 141–156.

    Google Scholar 

  • Veltkamp, G. M., Recio, G., Jacobs, A. M., & Conrad, M. (2013). Is personality modulated by language? The International Journal of Bilingualism, 17, 496–504.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vick, K. (2018, July 2). A reckoning after Trump’s border separation policy: What kind of country are we? Times Magazine retrieved from https://abc13.com>timemagazine-cover-features-trump-imigration-girl

    Google Scholar 

  • Walt, V. (2019). The plot against Europe. (Cover story). Time Magazine, 193(15), 26–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weathers, F.W., Blake, D.D., Schnurr, P.P., Kaloupek, D.G., Marx, B.P., & Keane, T.M. (2013a). The clinician-administered PTSD scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5).

    Google Scholar 

  • Weathers, F.W., Blake, D.D., Schnurr, P.P., Kaloupek, D.G., Marx, B.P., & Keane, T.M. (2013b). The life events checklist for DSM-5 (LEC-5).

    Google Scholar 

  • Weathers, F.W., Litz, B.T., Keane, T.M., Palmieri, P.A., Marx, B.P., & Schnurr, P.P. (2013). The PTSD checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5).

    Google Scholar 

  • Weiner, I. B., & Bornstein, R. F. (2009). Principles of psychotherapy: Promoting evidence-based psychodynamic practice. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weiss, R. A., & Rosenfeld, B. (2012). Navigating cross-cultural issues in forensic assessment: Recommendations for practice. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 43(3), 234–240.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wells, R., Wells, D., & Lawsin, C. (2015). Understanding psychological responses to trauma among refugees: The importance of measuring validity in cross-cultural settings. Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales, 148(455–456), 60–69.

    Google Scholar 

  • West, C. M. (2018). Crucial considerations in the understanding and treatment of intimate partner violence in African American couples. In R. A. Javier & W. G. Herron (Eds.), Understanding domestic violence- theories, challenges, and remedies (pp. 213–235). New York/London: Rowman & Littlefield.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu, K. K., & Chan, K. S. (2004). Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of impact of event scale - revised (IES-R). Hong Kong Journal of Psychitry, 14, 2–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu, K. K., Chan, S. K., & Yiu, V. F. (2008). Psychometric properties and confirmatory factor analysis of the posttraumatic stress disorder checklist (PCL) for Chinese survivors of motor vehicle accidents. Hong Kong Journal of Psychiatry, 18, 144–151.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zayas, L. (2015). Forgotten citizens: Deportation, children, and the making of American exiles and orphans. New York/London: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. St. John’s University, Office of Postgraduate Professional Development Programs, Queens, NY, USA

    Rafael Art. Javier & Marko Lamela

Authors
  1. Rafael Art. Javier
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Marko Lamela
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rafael Art. Javier .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Psychology, St. John’s University, Queens, NY, USA

    Rafael Art. Javier

  2. Columbia University/Teachers College, New York, NY, USA

    Elizabeth A. Owen

  3. Lamb & Maddux, LLC, Hackensack, NJ, USA

    Jemour A. Maddux

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Javier, R.A., Lamela, M. (2020). Cultural and Linguistic Issues in Assessing Trauma in a Forensic Context. In: Javier, R., Owen, E., Maddux, J. (eds) Assessing Trauma in Forensic Contexts. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-33106-1_7

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation